While a box office phenomenon in the U.S. and Canada, The Hunger Games openedless impressively on the foreign theatrical circuit, grossing $59.3 at some 7,700 locations in 67 offshore markets for a per-site average of about $7,700.

Overseas action assured Lionsgate’s action/sci-fi vehicle the weekend’s No. 1 box office ranking, but Games’ foreign opening is 2012’s second biggest – nearly $10 million less than the March 11 debut weekend gross of Disney’s John Carter, which opened at 16 fewer sites.

Disney International said Carter, which had been No. 1 overseas for the past two rounds,grossed in 54 territories $22.2 million on the weekend, more than four times its comparable domestic tally. The live-action, fantasy-adventure is No. 2 overall on the weekend this time.

Carterdropped to fourth place in such key markets Australia, Germany, Spain and South Korea. It finished No. 7 in the U.K., No. 8 in Italy and in France. International cume stands at $172.1 million versus its total domestic take so far of $62.3 million.

Starring Jennifer Lawrence as a 6-year-old heroine who fights to survive a last-person standing contest, Games registered dominant No. 1 market introductions in Australia via Roadshow ($9.69 million at some 260 sites) and in the U.K. via Lionsgate ($7.49 million from some 515 situations).

Leading the non-English-speaking markets was Russia where The HungerGames grossed $6.5 million. The No. 1 France debut via Metropolitan Filmexport kicked in $3.8 million from 706 locations. Germany via Studio Canal contributed even more, $4.2 million from 613 sites while the Austria bow via EMW drew $420,341 from 79 locales.

Latin and South American action was also strong. Mexico chipped in $3.6 million while Brazil furnished $3.15 million. Muscular per-screen numbers were posted in the Philippines ($1.71 million), Singapore ($1.37 million) and in Taiwan ($1.97 million).

Based on the first book of Suzanne Collin’s popular trilogy about kids killing kids in a dystopian future, Games drew a worldwide opening gross of $214.3 million.

Debuts in Italy, South Korea and Spain will take place next month while the film’s Japan opening is scheduled for September.

Finishing No. 3 on the weekend was Fox International’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel costarring Judi Dench and Maggie Smith, which picked up steam on the foreign circuit with openings in about a dozen markets, highlighted by a No. 2 Australia debut, which produced $3.9 million from 327 screens.

Weekend gross overall for the comedy-drama about British pensioners in India came to $8.1 million drawn from 1,898 sites in 18 markets. Foreign cume stands at $33.1 million. Hotel opens domestically on May 4.

Introducing itself to five medium-sized markets, Universal’s 3D animation title Dr. Seuss’ The Lorax registered $5.3 million on the weekend overall playing 1,808 venues in 25 territories. Foreign cume stands at $21.1 million with openings scheduled this week in 15 markets including Australia, Brazil, Mexico and Spain. It ranks No. 5 on the weekend.

Warner’s Project X, director Todd Phillips high school comedy, lifted its overseas gross total to $20.6 million after a $4.1 million weekend at 1,235 screens in 27 markets. A No. 2 second round in France generated $2.5 million at 267 screens for a market total of $6.5 million.

The Devil Inside, Paramount’s low-budget horror title elevated its foreign gross total to $44 million thanks to a $3 million weekend at 1,876 locations in 38 territories. It finished No. 4 in its second U.K. round drawing $1 million from 387 situations for a market cume of $5.6 million.

n Opening No. 1 in Spain was Sony’s The Vow, which grossed $1.8 million from 290 locations. On the weekend overall, the romantic comedy costarring Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum drew 2.58 million from 1,070 screens in 33 markets, pushing the film’s overseas cume to $46.2 million.

n Top-grossing local language title in France was Studio Canal’s release of Cloclo (My Way), which tallied an estimated $2.4 million from 880 situations. Market cume for the biopic of pop star Claude “Cloclo” Francois over two rounds comes to $11.1 million.

n Surfacing No. 1 in its opening Italy round was Medusa Film’s release of Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance, the action vehicle that has been playing the foreign markets since Feb. 24 via various local distributors. Opener for the Nicolas Cage vehicle drew 1.65 million at 538 spots. Rider’s overseas cume stands at $77.3 million.

Director Martin Scorsese’s Hugo has grossed a total of $72.8 million in foreign territories handled by Paramount after a $2.3 million weekend at 1,488 venues in 32 markets.

Grossing $2.2 million each on the weekend were two Universal releases: Contraband, the action title starring Mark Wahlberg, which played at 1,665 situations, and has collected a total of $24.7 million offshore to date; and SafeHouse, the CIA drama starring Denzel Washington which played at 1,423 sites for a foreign cume of $71.1 million.